Rivals Roundtable: Visits, Scottie Lewis, Anthony Harris, Kai Jones

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

This week in the Rivals Roundtable, basketball analysts Eric Bossi, Corey Evans and Dan McDonald give their opinions on a number of topics. Which school has the most important recruiting weekend? What will five-star Scottie Lewis’ status be a week from now? All of that and more is discussed.

EVANS SEVEN: Another weekend loaded with important visits

Bossi: "Kansas may have the most star power on campus, but I actually think Indiana may have the most important weekend for its future. The time is now to lock up Trayce Jackson-Davis, long rumored to be a Hoosiers lean, so the program can turn its attention to the other homegrown five-star Keion Brooks (who will also be on campus). Slightly off the radar, don’t sleep on the importance of Kansas State’s weekend. The Wildcats need a scoring wing badly and either Rivals150 shooting guard Dajuan Gordon or emerging three-star Damerius Wash would be a nice pickup."

Evans: "I am not sure that Akok Akok is an absolute must-get for Providence because of the program's consistency. The Friars have prided themselves on landing under-the-radar talent and cultivating it into something special, while also tossing in a few top-50 prospects in recent years. However, if Providence wants to take that final leap and ascend into Big East elitedom and the national title picture, the program needs to land Akok."

McDonald: "Cole Anthony doesn't give much away when it comes to his recruitment, but he's going to be on campus at North Carolina this week, a school many feel he's strongly considering. Anthony has maintained he won't be deciding any time soon, but this weekend is great opportunity for Roy Williams and his staff to impress the top guard in the 2019 class."

Bossi: "I probably still give the slight edge to Florida, but I’m going with Option C. And, you know what, Lewis is fanning the flames of uncertainty. The five-star has long been expected to pick Florida but after what has been said to be a great visit to Kentucky, Lewis has set the ‘crootin Internet on fire by being photographed in Kentucky gear a few times. Are there missing Florida gear photos (probably)? Is Lewis doing some good old-fashioned trolling of recruiting diehards (possibly and who can blame him)? Is seeking answers from a t-shirt or shorts choice a fool’s errand (most certainly)? Is he still up in the air about what he wants to do (quite likely)? Either way, I’m not sure it will all be resolved by this time next week."

Evans: "Option A. Lewis will be a Florida Gator. There is a chance that he could wait out the process a bit more, or he could even select Kentucky as it would not surprise me one bit if he were to select the blueblood gang. However, Lewis has been set on a final two for weeks now, visited each of his finalists a number of times and with the USA Basketball Trials approaching next weekend and with a contingent of media ready to hammer Lewis with every question possible, might he be ready to end things before he sets foot in Colorado Springs? I think so."

McDonald: "I'm going with Kentucky here. Florida had a lot going for them with Lewis in his recruitment, but John Calipari doesn't miss often when he really wants a recruit. After a great visit to Kentucky, I think Big Blue Nation will get good news when Lewis ultimately makes his decision.”

"Bossi: “It looked for all the world like Virginia Tech was going to edge out Wake Forest for an important four-star point guard recruit in Harris. Then out of nowhere Duke enters the picture and immediately secures a visit without offering a scholarship. I can’t imagine the Blue Devils are bringing him in for the heck of it and would expect he gets his offer. That happens, I’m afraid it’s going to be curtains for the Hokies and Demon Deacons on this one.

Evans: "Poor Virginia Tech. I think that this was a done deal for the Hokies but it may be difficult for them to overcome Duke if the Blue Devils offer Harris this weekend as I expect them to. Harris could decide that he wants to remain loyal to the Hokies and choose Buzz Williams’ bunch as they placed a heavy priority on him for the past two years compared, but the Blue Devils' blueblood bona fides may prove tough to resist."

McDonald: “Like I mentioned with Kentucky above, beating Coach K on the recruiting trail is incredibly difficult to do. Virginia Tech has recruited Harris as long and as hard as any school, so I still believe the Hokies can hang on here even if Duke does come through with an offer.”

"Bossi: “I don’t know what a reasonable expectation is for Kai Jones as a freshman, but long term it wouldn’t be a shock if he eventually found his way to the NBA. He’s got the length, athleticism and size while showing flashes of offensive brilliance. It’s just about adding strength and getting more consistent. So where’s he headed? I’m a little on the fence between Florida State and Texas here but for now, at least, I’ll give a slight edge to the guys in the burnt orange and re-evaluate after the weekend.”

Evans: "Jones is all about done with his recruitment and I see this as a race between Florida State and Texas, though it is never a good idea to discount Scott Drew on the recruiting trail as he has become known for coming up with some surprise wins in recent years. However, the Seminoles stand as a strong contender as Leonard Hamilton is acclaimed as one of the best closer’s in the sport; the Tallahassee campus’ proximity to Jones’ Orlando home base should not hurt the cause, either. However, I see Texas as his eventual landing spot. The Longhorns check all of the boxes for the top-80 forward and the fact that his favorite player is Kevin Durant has to help, as well.

"Jones is a super high upside forward that will be most valued immediately for his defensive prowess. Long, rangy, bouncy and full of energy, Jones is a multi-positional ballplayer. He should only continue to make great strides within his game and thus, ascend the Rivals150 before its completion."

McDonald: "This has been a tough one to read. I'm going with Florida State for now because I remember the way Jones talked about the Seminoles the first time I asked him about them. He said they were one of the schools he grew up dreaming about playing at. The Seminoles have made him a priority and do great work with long, lanky, skilled forwards like Jones. I think Leonard Hamilton wins this battle."